What does it look like today?
by galliechan
Summary: They froze. The soulmate signs weren't moving. They had stabilised. In the worst possible day. For AkaKuro Week 2016. Soulmate AU.
1. Roads

Disclaimer: The Kuroko no Basket manga is the property of its creator, Tadatoshi Fujimaki. The other Kuroko no Basket media is property of their authorised owners. These stories are created by the author. All original settings, characters, etc., remain the property of the author.

Author's Note: I can't believe I'm doing this! So, here it is, for AkaKuro Week 2016. I had this idea of creating a seven-shot - multi-chaptered story with the seven prompts. I will be using them only as words inside each chapter though and won't be able to use high school and middle school prompts - except as words in the specific chapters.

Let me remind that this is a soulmate AU. And unbetaed, because of the time limit.

Enjoy!

What does it look like today?

A Kuroko no Basket fanfiction

by Galliechan

© Copyright 2016

Roads

The big day.

They did it.

Years of dedication, hard work and total belief against what everybody in the business were saying. Today was its fruit.

A stunned silence and then standing ovation in the world's largest technology expo.

Akashi got out of shower and with a mind of its own, his hand grabbed his mobile phone (prototype. Was it waterproof?) next to the sink, as if anything could have happened in the ten minutes he was in the shower.

He felt like giggling. He felt like laughing like a maniac.

Something happened. More pre-orders. A few thousand more phones.

With one eye still on his phone (One new mail. More orders?), he cleaned the fog on the mirror.

His eyes crinkled, he had a stupid smile on his face.

He tried to compose himself - of course he knew they were going to do it. He trusted his team and he was always right. He raised his chin, his stance open and stable, his eyes bright and focused. He imagined he was doing an interview for the success of his new mobile phone.

His voice was confident when he said, "Of course I knew it was going to be a success. For years, me and my team researched what people wanted - "

" _Stop bullshitting_ ," he imagined his soulmate saying in his head. Akashi crumbled to the bathroom floor in a fit of giggles.

They did it. They really did. (His phone tinged. New mail. More orders.)

(Look at me. Look at me father. Mother. I did it.)

He jumped up, did a swirl and then jumped a few more times. He laughed at his silliness as he waltzed with his imaginary soulmate in the bathroom in just a towel. Before leaving for bedroom, he glanced to the mirror for his customary check -

Akashi froze.

His soulmate sign wasn't moving. It had stabilised. In a weird bunch of geometric shapes.

It had stabilised. He saw his soulmate or -

His soulmate saw him.

He jumped towards his mobile. 20,4m followers on Twitter. 27,9m followers on Instagram. Three popular scopers with a total of over 100m followers scoped the whole presentation. And, of course, TV. Akashi gave ten interviews, there were twelve cameras at the presentation. The organisers gave the whole video to all local and national TV stations. And newspapers. And magazines, web pages, bloggers. His video could be circling in the evening news at this moment. Finally, the thousands of people watching him live, at the expo.

Akashi sank to his knees. His soulmate could be one of these millions of people.

" _Your big day_ ," he imagined his soulmate mourning.

If he had to ruin it, he would. If he had to turn himself into a tabloid figure, he would.

He grabbed his mobile and opened the camera app.

If he had to turn his soulmate sign into the most famous one ever, he would.

He would make sure everybody saw it, be it a follower on social media, technology blogger or evening news audience.

Akashi would make sure to do it, if it meant he would find his soulmate.

—

Kuroko melted into the couch with a groan. He loved his kids. He didn't love their parents. Especially their academic ambitions for their kids who were supposed only play at that age.

Kuroko wanted to erase parents' meeting from his mind.

Actually he wanted to erase today off his mind altogether, with his praise-thirsty co-workers, nervous kids and discussions lengthening to late evening with their success-oriented parents.

He focused on the TV at the familiar sound of his favourite show's opening theme. The only part he wanted to remember from today. This and the ice cream he went all the way to buy.

All the way to the corner shop, that was.

Who knew there was such a thing as cranberry ice cream? And Kuroko would want some the moment his co-worker mentioned it to a parent.

Eyes glued to the screen, Kuroko opened the cup and took his spoon. He glanced at his spoonful of bright red ice cream before opening his mou -

Kuroko froze.

His soulmate sign wasn't moving. It had stabilised. In a weird bunch of asymmetrical patterns.

He saw his soulmate? (Or his soulmate saw him?) Today of all days?

He went to the kindergarten using the same route he used for years. He greeted his neighbours. Made way for the high school kid always running late. He talked to the owner of the corner shop and barista of the small cafe next to it. The rest, he ignored to read his book. He greeted the same people on his way back home.

Kuroko lived in this neighbourhood for years. Kuroko also knew his co-workers for years.

Kuroko knew everybody on his road to work and everybody knew Kuroko back.

Meaning, the only people he met for the first time today: The parents.

Parents of the kids he were teaching.

His soulmate was one of them.

His spoonful of ice cream fell from his suddenly weak fingers. Frustrated tears came to his eyes.

He cracked the remote to turn the TV off, threw the red ice cream to the trash and went to his bedroom.

He really wanted to erase today off his mind altogether.

Along with the fact that his soulmate was married with kids.

Whoever that was.

Kuroko wasn't going to find it out.


	2. Upside Down

2 - Upside Down

"It is ridiculous, they even started calling the company. You should see it, Tetsu."

"Many people are searching for their soulmates, Aomine-kun. They are not lucky enough to find it in their childhood friend like you."

Instead of, per se, her parents.

"Well, you don't. Kise here isn't searching either."

"Mine stabilised in high school when I was still modelling. My soulmate might see me in magazines or commercials and I wouldn't know a thing." He adjusted his bangs and gave a white-toothed smile, "Finding your soulmate is nigh impossible for famous people." He gave an applause break but only met Aomine's rolled eyes and Kuroko's indulgent smile. He continued, serious, "That's why I find Akashi's tenacity admirable."

"Right," Aomine drawled in the sudden silence.

Even Kuroko, who knew of the man from his two friends' stories, wasn't sure admirable was the word to describe his tenacity. Scary, maybe? Bottomless?

Then again, they were talking about the man who created a new age in mobile technology.

"How are your orders coming along? Will you make them on time?" Kuroko said and then took a bite of his sandwich, waiting his friends' reactions.

Aomine groaned as Kise's model smile to turned sheepish.

Kuroko was learning to take his enjoyment wherever he found these days.

"Well…kinda?"

"Akashi is a witch. There has to be a spell." Aomine whispered, glancing around. "Who can gain so many orders with one speech?" After one last glance to the windows of the neighbour building, he attacked his bento with fervour as if to hide his tracks.

Kuroko had long since accepted his friends with their quirks.

"The phone looked good."

"You watched the presentation, Kurokocchi?"

"No. I saw Aomine-kun's prototype."

"Oh," Aomine and Kise gazed at their mobile phones, put side by side on a step of Kuroko's kindergarten entrance, sitting next to them. "Can't believe it is over."

"It isn't over Aominecchi! Now we have to update and improve it. We already received update requests."

Aomine laughed, "yeah, like putting Akashi's soulmate sign to its back."

"Eh?"

"Told you it is ridiculous Tetsu. Akashi's sign is more famous then the phone."

"Don't begrudge him Aominecchi."

"I'm not. Still weird though. He receives thousands of soulmate sign photos every day and looks at each of them."

"Does it work like that? You recognise your soulmate by looking at their sign?"

"I wouldn't know. Mine didn't work like that." He shrugged, "by now, I saw Akashi's more than my soulmate's."

"Gross!"

"It is on the internet, idiot!" He reached for his phone, made some gestures that opened a search engine and wrote his co-worker's name. Then shoved it to their faces with a "see."

Thus, Kuroko saw Akashi's soulmate mark.

"We know what it looks like, Aominecci."

"What does it look like?" Kuroko asked.

"I mean…that. Nothing to me, a bunch of shapes. Guess it would mean something to his soulmate."

Kuroko reached for Aomine's mobile. Enlarged the picture. Then rotated it.

"It is better upside down. Now it looks like a high school geometry problem," he gave the mobile back to its owner and returned back to his lunch. "Whoever finds x must be his soulmate."

* * *

Akashi's phone buzzed. At this point, nobody at the office reacted to it.

He had already turned off it's twitting and tinging sounds. It kept on buzzing on its place all day long. (Connected to power - apparently its battery couldn't handle intense social media notifications. Should work on it.)

Akashi reached for it and checked his notifications.

"It is the same sign," Kise said over his shoulder, voice full of wonder. "Is she the one?"

"It is a tattoo," Akashi sighed. Kise deflated. Aomine laughed.

It was so weird to see his sign on someone else's shoulder. Something quite like his sign anyway.

"It is like horoscopes," Midorima said from his desk, adjusting his glasses. "They should be complementary, not matching."

"Like symmetrical? Mirror? Side by side it writes soulmate? Over each other, it writes their names? They change colour? It shows their hobbies?"

"I don't know, nanodayo! You should ask Akashi."

"It should mean something to their soulmates."

"Any luck today?"

"No," he said, already focused back on his screen. "I only see meaningless shapes."

He looked at 5692 soulmate signs today. We were going to reach the total number of his social media followers if he continued to do so for the next 25 years.

Ignoring the fact that he earned a few million after his revelation.

" _Don_ _'_ _t lose hope,_ _"_ he imagined his soulmate saying, _"_ _I will be waiting._ _"_

Yes, yes, Akashi didn't want to make his soulmate wait though.

"Aka-chin, call from a fan page. They interpreted your sign. Want to do an interview to ask if it is true."

He wanted to groan.

"I wouldn't know. It is supposed to mean anything only to my soulmate."

Not even himself. What a difficult system. How was Akashi to know if the person wasn't spouting nonsense?

Then again, he would have taken a better photo if he knew he would receive interpretations. (He would have thought about it if he didn't act in panic.)

Or rotate it before uploading, at the very least.

"What was the webpage?"

Five minutes later, Akashi was hitting his shoulders in an attempt to clean Murasakibara's crumbs and losing his fight to hold back his groan.

"I fail to see any sunshine, green-hedged houses or kids in your mark, nanodayo."

"Or, what was it, 'happiness beyond eternity'" Kise cackled.

Akashi's eye twitched.

He refused 25 years of this - there has to be a faster, more efficient way.

"Upside down or not, Tetsu's interpretation was better."

Akashi's breath hitched. Upside down?

"Who is Tetsu?"


	3. Risks

Author's Note: Geometry used to be one of my favourite subjects in high school - it is obvious?

3 - Risks

Too late, it occurred to Akashi he forgot to ask whether Kuroko had a soulmate already.

The answer was yes, Kuroko Tetsuya had a soulmate.

He had his answer, he should return back to his office.

He eliminated one more person from his list of millions.

Akashi hesitated.

He looked at the person sitting on the kindergarten's steps with an open book on his lap. His look wasn't open - it was emotionless - but his tone was when he said, "Akashi-san is welcome to join me."

Akashi sat on the doorstep, next to the man, as Kuroko closed his book and turned to look at him.

He looked patient.

Patience of a kindergarten teacher.

"What is it like, having a soulmate?" Akashi asked, "how did you recognise each other?"

Kuroko hugged his knees and looked at the narrow street in front of them.

"When I returned home from parents meeting, my sign has stabilised."

Akashi waited for him to continue. "And?"

Kuroko turned his head to glance at Akashi. "And?"

"You didn't do anything."

"No, I didn't."

"There might be a sibling or the couple planned to divorce or there was a single parent. It could be anything, how can you not do anything?"

"There were no siblings or single parents," he muttered. "And the couple does have a kid at kindergarten age."

"You didn't risk it."

"I didn't."

"I would have."

"I'd imagine so."

"Does that mean I am willing to destroy someone's happiness for my own?"

" _What a rude way to put it,_ _"_ his soulmate chided in his head.

Kuroko hesitated. "If I were to say 'they weren't soulmates, they couldn't be happy' that would make me a hypocrite. Otherwise, I would insult Akashi-san." He looked at Akashi with a deadpan expression, "No answer."

Akashi relaxed.

Why were he getting riled up on a stranger's problem anyway?

Not all people were willing to meet their soulmates.

Most didn't want it as much as Akashi, that was for sure.

He chuckled. "Most would fall for it."

"No wonder Aomine-kun thought Akashi-san's speech has a spell. Talking with Akashi-san is dangerous."

Akashi hummed.

It was warm, sitting on concrete steps with afternoon sun shining on them.

He glanced to the first floor window of the neighbour building. He could imagine his co-workers watching him and wondering what he was doing.

He closed his eyes.

"What is it like, to meet your soulmate?"

"I don't know."

"Aa, can't explain it."

"No, I mean I didn't feel anything." Akashi looked sharply at Kuroko.

What a difficult guy to read.

"Wasn't it supposed to be love at first sight, a connection or something to recognise?"

"I didn't feel anything," Kuroko said, looking at him. "Not even shivers or fast heartbeat or narrow vision. Nothing."

What if he didn't mee -

"Before you ask, I met all the parents."

Oh.

"How did you recognise - ?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"I didn't. When I arrived at home, my sign has stabilised."

Akashi stopped.

" _How are we supposed to find each other?_ _"_ his soulmate's shout echoed in his head.

"You have to see your soulmate's sign then," Akashi uttered.

"At the next meeting, I will ask the parents to show me." Akashi looked at Kuroko's deadpan expression. From what he understood from his personalit - "That's what Akashi-san would say if he were in my place."

Akashi chuckled.

"What would Kuroko say if he were in my place?"

"Solve for x."

Ok.

Huh?

What was up with this conversation? His thoughts stumbled on each step.

"I used to like geometry in high school," Kuroko said as he opened the last page of his book and took a pencil from his apron. He started drawing, "here we have a square. Inside a trapezoid and inside it is a hexagon. Next are three triangles, one is inside a parallelogram. We have two random lines here, intersecting a pentagon. A few more random triangles and one last rectangle." He marked an angle at the middle of the sign and turned to Akashi, "Can you solve for x, Akashi-san?"

Akashi blinked. It looked like his sign.

It looked like his sign, indeed.

Upside down, to boost.

He grinned. He never thought of his sign like this.

"Looks like a right angle to me."

(Like all his high school subjects, he got perfect marks from geometry as well.)

Kuroko didn't look impressed. "It can be 89 degrees." He put the book and pencil to Akashi's hands. "I want theorems and proof."

Pythagorean Theorem here, Law of Cosines there, calculating area of this trapezoid and then finding this obtuse angle…

" - taking this angle from parallelogram and see this equilateral triange," he put its sign with flourish, "thus, x is a right angle."

Kuroko looked at his book, then at Akashi.

"Now all you need is to find the other person who can solve this."

"Maybe I should put this on internet too." He glanced at Kuroko, watching for his reaction. "The one to find right angle is the right person for me."

He waited for the grimace - instead Kuroko looked at him serious and said, "don't give them the answer."

Kuroko's eyes were dancing.

Akashi laughed.

What a contradicting person.

"I want to see your soulmate sign."

"Akashi-san is getting over himself."

"You saw mine."

"Akashi-san put his sign on the internet. He shouldn't complain about people seeing it."

"Is yours a high school problem too?" Kuroko frowned. Akashi grinned. "Math? Physics? Biology? Oh, I know, literature."

"What kind of sign do you imagine I have?"

A contradicting one. An interesting one.

"PE then? Clubs, maybe? Basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, running, soccer, baseba -"

"Why sports?" he muttered.

"Shogi, go, chess -"

"Strategy games?"

"Anime, manga, debate, library -"

"How many clubs did your school have?"

"Many. I can count all of them."

Akashi grinned.

Kuroko sighed. He removed his wristband.

"Literature it is!"

"What?"

"They look like ink splatters."

Kuroko looked like Akashi lost his mind. "I don't see ink splatters."

"I didn't see a geometry problem in mine."

Kuroko sighed, "Akashi-san is silly." Akashi was about to be insulted when Kuroko's lips curved into an indulgent smile. "What is my x, then? What should my soulmate solve for?"

Akashi stopped his twitching lips and leaned down with a serious look.

"I would say, ink texture and consistency," he straightened, raised his chin and put a hand to his heart. "I happen to be an avid user of fountain pens, so let me tell you about inks."

Akashi's his last presentation was in a huge conference hall, in the world's largest technology expo, about a product he worked for years.

He didn't feel as alive as he felt sitting on concrete steps, talking about inks to an interesting kindergarten teacher.

—

When Akashi returned back to his office, his co-workers weren't waiting for him next to the window, as he expected.

"Got bored," Aomine shrugged.

"Not soulmate," Murasakibara drawled.

Still suspicious, Akashi walked to his desk. He did a double take at the time.

Two hours?

"You looked like you were having fun," Midorima said, seeing his reaction. "You can afford a break."

" _You work too much anyway._ _"_

Before focusing on his screen, he glanced at his fountain pen. He thought about his calligraphy inks at home.

He wondered if he could recreate Kuroko's soulmate sign.

He decided to try. Maybe he would show Kuroko tomorrow.

—

Kuroko entered the teachers' room to put his book away before waking the children from their naps.

"Would you recommend it?" One of his co-workers said.

"Didn't finish it," Kuroko replied.

"What did you do?"

"Talked."

He looked at his co-worker's surprised expression and thought it was nothing compared to the shock behind his blank expression.

He reminded himself to buy a new book to lend back seeing as he damaged his friends' one.

He wondered if Akashi-san would like that book.

He wondered if he could find any geometry problem Akashi-san couldn't solve.

He decided to search. Maybe he would show Akashi-san tomorrow.


	4. I'm glad I met you

Author's Notes: The poem is The Fly from William Blake. I don't know if it has some deeper meaning - sorry if it has.

I wasn't planning on a longer chapter but when these two start talking, I can't stop them!

(I really wish I had more time to edit these chapters. Publishing the same day I write stresses me. Sorry for any mistakes.)

4 - I'm glad I met you

Akashi was talking about the latest app crush user report with Midorima - while ignoring how the phone had a background image of himself and Aomine's associated laughter - when Murasakibara called from his work table.

"It is nap time."

Snacking was one thing but if Murasakibara dared to nap in work hou -

"We can continue after your break, Akashi," Midorima said, walking back to his desk.

Oh.

"There is no need, everyday -"

"Kurokocchi arrived, he has a book today."

"It is middle of the day, not even lunch break -"

"We know you stay late to make up for it."

"Are you trying to get rid of me -?"

"Akashi," Aomine put his phone and the book he brought for Kuroko to his hands before shoving him to the door. "Don't make him wait."

Then he closed the door.

Akashi blinked.

Conspiracy. His co-workers were planning something against him.

"Today's numbers?" he heard from inside.

"15."

"24."

"50."

"How can anyone laugh fifty times in two hours, idiot, Tetsu isn't a clown!"

Akashi ignored his soulmate's laughter in his head as he ran downstairs.

"Little Fly,

Thy summer's play

My thoughtless hand

Has brushed away."

Kuroko raised his head from the book on his lap. "William Blake." His eyes were dancing. "Akashi-kun said he loved poetry and I was curious about his interpretation of this one."

"Oh, someone thoughtless brushed away the fly."

"So elaborate."

Akashi laughed. Then took his favourite seat nowadays.

He even learned to take a spot where afternoon sun warmed up the concrete.

"I would have preferred to hear a love poem from Kuroko."

"You have your soulmate for it."

"I recalculated my chances - reduced it to twenty years. So -"

"Oh, what changed it?"

"You can't believe how many spam accounts were following me. Also I wrote an algori -"

"No wonder Akashi-kun had so many followers."

"Hey! I worked hard to gain those followers."

Kuroko raised his hand and tilted his head, "should I take a pose from this angle," he tilted his head to the other side, "or this angle?"

Akashi grinned. "Which one is better?"

"Akashi-kun has a symmetrical face." Kuroko paused. "So he should plucker his lips -"

"As I was saying," he raised his voice, "I also wrote an algorithm that found if an account sent more than one photo. Now I only need to look at these photos for twenty years to find my soulmate."

"Twenty years? Nothing."

"Kuroko is sarcastic today. More than usual."

"I can feel Akashi-kun building his base for another ridiculous request."

He cleared his throat. "So, I want to hear a love poem from Kuroko."

"No."

"Would you make me wait twenty years without one?"

"It would make the one from your soulmate more precious."

"It will already be precious."

" _Why, thank you._ _"_

"So you don't need mine."

"I will tweet about it."

"You can't threaten me, I don't use social media."

"I wasn't threatening."

Kuroko paused.

Akashi loved these pauses. Whatever came next never stopped to surprise him. Never stopped to be interesting.

Especially with the way Kuroko's eyes shone.

"Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

His soulmate would be lucky,

If Akashi-kun learned when to shut up."

Kuroko was the only person to dare him with one eyebrow. "Will Akashi-kun tweet my poem?"

"It doesn't rhyme!"

Kuroko laughed. Then jumped forward to Akashi's phone.

"I can do it myself."

Akashi jumped back. "You don't know how to use this phone." Kuroko followed him. Akashi jumped back again.

Then fell to the lower step.

Kuroko was still following him.

"Everything at your fingertips, with one touch." Akashi winced at his quote. "Was Akashi-kun lying?"

Akashi stood on the lowest step and looked at Kuroko. He had crouched on their usual seat, ready to jump at Akashi.

He was smiling. His eyes were brighter than his smile.

Akashi put his hand over his heart. "I would never lie to my customers."

"You might as well call this phone telepathic," he continued quoting.

"Well, my phone is telepathic with me, not Kuroko, who doesn't even have a smart phone."

Kuroko jumped.

Akashi ran towards his building.

If his soulmate asked him for his most embarrassing moments (when he found the person within these twenty years), getting scolded by Kuroko's co-workers for laughing loud and not to wake the children up would be one of them.

He tried to mollify himself that it must be more embarrassing for Kuroko.

—

Working at lunch break was relaxing. And efficient.

Must be because of the silent office.

Especially these days where the whole office was eating outside to meet Kuroko.

The one who managed to befriend Akashi.

" _The one to befriend them all, shall wear this ring._ _"_

Akashi shook his head not to lose his concentration but it was too late. He smiled at his soulmate's antics in his head.

He wondered if his real life soulmate would be like his imaginary one.

"Akashicci!" he heard the distant call.

He walked to the windows. Kise was waving at him while the rest of them were eating their lunches on the kindergarten's steps. Surrounding Kuroko.

It showed how hungry they were for interesting company in this small neighbourhood.

"Can you come down for a minute," Aomine called.

Akashi nodded, already calculating how much time he had to add to his evening shift.

By the time he went down, Aomine had moved to the highest step, Kuroko was next to him with quite a blank expression and the rest moved aside to watch the scene.

Aomine was holding a wrapped long sandwich (Murasakibara's?) from one end, and his expression was too serious for his ridiculous pose.

"Come closer, Akashi."

Ordering him aroun -?

"Please humour him, Akashi-kun."

This had better be something good. He climbed to his usual step. At least Kuroko was includ -

"I, Aomine Daiki," he touched the sandwich to Akashi's shoulder, Akashi stilled, "bestow my title of 'Kuroko Tetsuya's best friend'," the other shoulder, "to Akashi Seijuro." The sandwich touched his head, "Do you accept?"

Akashi blinked.

"You don't ask a knight if he accepts the title, Aomine-kun," Kuroko muttered.

"Then, you can take him," Aomine held Kuroko from his arms and pushed towards Akashi.

"I'm not a bride," Kuroko gritted his teeth.

Akashi wondered what had happened to his life.

It was vibrant.

"I accept thee," Akashi said.

Kuroko groaned.

—

"He is late," Kise said next to the window.

"The day of the best friend ceremony. How cruel, Tetsu."

"He must have a logical reason, nanodayo."

"Kuro-chin is there," he pointed somewhere down the street.

Akashi left the office, feeling restless. (He reminded himself that for his crazy phone project, he needed an equally crazy team.)

He had just sat on his usual spot when Kuroko arrived with a shopping bag.

"I knew these were Akashi-kun's work hours but I didn't know he worked in his lunch time to compensate for it." He emptied his shopping bag in front of him. "And then forget to eat."

Akashi looked at seven different flavours of bread, then at Kuroko.

"I didn't know what you liked."

"So you decided to buy all."

"I thought Akashi-kun would have rare tastes."

"That didn't sound like a compliment."

Kuroko gave his most innocent smile.

Akashi laughed.

"I'm glad I met you."

"Yeah, when I bring you food."

"Aren't you my best friend now? It is in your job description."

"Akashi-kun is _my_ best friend, I don't remember Midorima-san giving his title to me."

"It wasn't his to begin with."

"So I don't even know the person."

"I don't have that person." Kuroko frowned, "I don't have one. Didn't. A best friend."

Akashi focused on the breads. There were weird flavo -

"Must be his eloquence."

"Hey!"

"Or his ordering around."

Akashi threw a bread at Kuroko.

It was pink.

(Strawberry flavoured?)

"Where did you find these anyway?"

Kuroko huffed but went along with his subject change with good nature. "The corner store. They have curious products. Got acquainted with some anime too."

"You like anime?"

"The owner's son does."

Akashi hummed and chose a civilised looking bread. Took a bite.

"So, yeah, you are also my best friend."

Took another bite.

"I'm glad I met you too, Akashi-kun."

Kuroko's smile was more vibrant than anything else.


	5. Pen and Paper

5 - Pen and Paper

" _You are working too much,_ _"_

" - Seijuro-kun."

Hm?

"You are working too much, Seijuro-kun."

Akashi teared his eyes from his screen and focused at the face next to it.

"What are you doing here," he murmured, his eyes already watering now that he took them off the screen.

"Came to take my daily dose of Seijuro-kun." He sat on an empty corner of Akashi's desk, "And make sure he eats."

Akashi chuckled.

"Thanks," he rubbed his eyes. "And sorry about, nap time. Had a meeting."

Akashi put his head to the table, on his makeshift arms cushion.

His sleepless night must be catching up on him.

Having Kuroko near wasn't helping either.

"What are you working on?"

"A stylus," he murmured to the desk before turning his head to look at his screen. "What do you think about them?"

"I prefer pen and paper."

"Tetsuya," he groaned.

Kuroko walked around the desk to look at his screen.

"They are uncomfortable though I'm sure Seijuro-kun's would feel natural."

"It is all about pressu-" his murmur trailed off when he felt Kuroko settle on his chair armrest and then start playing with his hair.

His shoulders tensed as his legs loosened. His stomach clenched as his eyelids got heavier.

His fingers twitched.

(To hold him? To push him away?)

"Are you trying to make me sleep?"

He was warm. He wanted to melt into it. He wanted to run away from it.

"You look like you need it."

And you would see it, right? He closed his eyes. He smiled as Kuroko's hand slipped down to his neck and started massaging his tense muscles.

" _It couldn_ _'_ _t be comfortable sleeping in a chair._ _"_

Akashi jerked upwards. His heart was hammering.

What was he doing?

Kuroko looked up from Akashi's mobile phone on his lap. He was holding the prototype stylus with one hand. His other hand had slipped to Akashi's shoulder.

"It works smooth," he showed his drawing on the mobile phone.

Akashi's soulmate sign.

Kuroko could draw it without referencing geometry nowadays.

Akashi's face softened. "What does it look like today?"

"Confused."

As Akashi straightened, Kuroko's hand tightened on his shoulder to keep his balance.

It felt like that touch helped Akashi keep his balance instead.

"That sounds like Shintarou's daily horoscopes."

Kuroko chuckled. His eyes were warm. His hand was warm. His body, next to him, was warm.

Akashi felt as safe as if he was in a cocoon.

His stomach twisted.

"I would colour it and show two sides mixing and swirling if I knew how to."

"Your interpretations get weirder and weirder."

"Says Seijuro-kun who interpreted my sign as rising sun yesterday."

He shrugged. It made Kuroko's hand fall off his shoulder.

(He mourned. He rejoiced.)

"It looked like rising sun." He took off Kuroko's wristband. "Today, it looks like…cocoons."

He laughed. "When will they turn to butterflies?"

"When you find your soulmate."

"Not in this lifetime, then."

Don't say it. You deserve to be with your soulmate. Your ideal partner.

Kuroko deserved the best. Someone who appreciated to be with him each moment.

Who could be with him with no regrets.

He hopped off the armrest. "How is your search going?"

"Nothing today, as well."

"You still have twenty years. Don't lose hope."

Twenty years. That sounds long.

Kuroko took his hand and pulled him off his chair. He watched Kuroko, feeling lost. Without releasing his hand, he turned off Akashi's computer, put his mobile, wallet and keys to his pockets.

When was the last time he allowed someone on his personal space like this?

Never. Not even his father touched his computer when he lived with him. Not even his co-workers touched his mobile phone without permission. Let alone other prototypes on his desk.

"Dinner and movie. We are having a sleepover," Kuroko smiled over his shoulder as he was pulling Akashi to the door.

"I have a meeting tomorrow," he murmured.

"You have change of clothes." He turned off the lights and locked the door. Put the keys back to Akashi's pocket.

Still holding his hand.

"Even suits," he continued.

Then he resumed pulling Akashi, making him stumble a few steps.

"I get to shower first."

"Yes, yes, even bought that herbal soap you liked."

When did Kuroko seep into Akashi's whole life? Without his noticing? Without his minding?

Like it was where he belon -

Stop.

Like they were fated to be frien -

No.

Like…like…

Akashi tried to think of words not used to describe soulmates.

Like this was how it was suppose -

Not this one either.

Like this was normal.

Yeah, like it was normal. To be like this. Casual. Close.

Natural.

Akashi wished, when he meet his soulmate, their relationship would be like his with Kuroko.

—

When Midorima returned back to office in the middle of the lunch break, Akashi knew what was coming.

After all, Midorima hadn't been his best friend, only because Akashi could predict his every move.

He moved his chair in front of Akashi's desk before sitting.

"What is going on, Akashi?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." He kept looking at his screen.

"The meeting yesterday. You could have scheduled it at any time of the day. Also the two meetings last week. You put them right on your meeting with Kuroko." He adjusted his glasses, "Is there a problem? You are worrying him."

"He doesn't need to."

"He is your best friend."

His stomach twisted.

"Or is he more?"

"You know he is not my soulmate," he hissed, poised like a snake to attack the man.

"I meant lover." Midorima's eyes were wide. Akashi jerked back.

"He is not my soulmate," he repeated. It sounded hollow.

He felt nauseous.

He focused back on his screen. A little bubble at the sidebar said he got 1000+ notifications.

Soulmate signs to look at.

He wished to be under the afternoon sun, laughing with Kuroko.

"You know my partner is not my soulmate, nanodayo." Akashi smiled at his friend's speech patterns. Haven't changed since middle school. "We are happy. We are not searching for our soulmates."

"I do."

That made all the difference.

"You said twenty years, Akashi. What will you do all that time?"

"Wait."

"And pine after Kuroko."

"That would be my burden."

"You think so?" Akashi looked at him from the corner of his eyes, dreading. "Aomine was his best friend since middle school. He called him Aomine-kun and always kept his distance. He might as well throw himself to you. And it is, what, just a month since you met?"

"This doesn't mean anyhin -"

"I never heard his laugh, except when he is with you."

"Now that is something to do with yo -"

"And I never heard your laugh, Akashi. In all those years."

"We are best friends," he muttered.

"You can be more, that's all I say."

"And when I find my soulmate?" He looked at Midorima. "I would leave him. He doesn't deserve it."

"Maybe you should ask him. Twenty years is a long time."

"It is within twenty years. Can be tomorrow. Or even one of these notifications."

Midorima stood up. "That was all I wanted to say. You should ask him, maybe he would risk it."

Sure, Akashi thought, Kuroko who didn't risk finding his soulmate, would want to be in a time bomb relationship.


	6. Tension

6 - Tension

After his talk with Midorima, Akashi felt like his co-workers were watching his every move towards Kuroko. Especially in their breaks.

So, when he walked to the concrete steps that day, instead of sitting, he asked them to go to the corner store.

"How did Daiki found his soulmate?"

"They were kids. One day she came and said he was her soulmate." At Akashi's look, Kuroko smiled. It was tiny. "She is a somewhat demanding person."

"How did she know?"

"She noticed that she liked watching Aomine-kun play basketball more than anything else. Then, she asked to see his sign."

"Daiki told he didn't recognise his soulmate from her sign."

"Well…Aomine-kun showed his sign. She interpreted it as a basketball. He liked his interpretation," He shrugged, "and accepted to be her soulmate."

What was this ridiculous story?

As if knowing his thoughts, Kuroko chuckled.

"I know, but they are…right, for each other. If you can stand to be around Aomine-kun, it is thanks to her. And he keeps her demanding personality in check." He paused, "They keep on bickering though. I guess everybody shows their love in different means."

Akashi hummed. Their neighbourhood was silent in this time of the day. It was relaxing.

He thought about taking Kuroko's hand swinging next to his but didn't want to create tension.

He suspected he wasn't the only person Midorima talked to.

"Internet is full of interpretations of my sign."

"Maybe, instead of looking at signs, you should read them."

"And my favourite would be my soulmate?"

"Why not?"

His soulmate sign supposed to mean anything only to his soulmate. Akashi always questioned how he would know it was the correct interpretation. Was this the way?

The interpretation only became right because Akashi liked it?

"Then, what does my sign look like today, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko jerked. His hand moved to his side pockets, where he always kept his book and pencil, but he wasn't wearing his apron. Then back pocket, before remembering he didn't have a smart phone. It jerked to Akashi's pocket before returning back to his side. His wide eyes slid off Akashi.

"Am I a candidate?" his weak chuckle trailed off.

Akashi stared at him.

" _It is rude to sta-_ _"_

Not now.

Kuroko's fingers twitched. He looked at them, slumping his shoulders. His chin trembled before he bit his lip. He kept on blinking.

"Let's," he cleared his throat, "let's go to the store."

Akashi followed behind Kuroko.

Staring at his back.

Kuroko of last week would have turned back, laughing, took his hand and made some comment about his intense stare.

This Kuroko only quickened his pace.

It wasn't supposed to be this. He wanted the old Kuroko back.

Kuroko should giggle as Akashi recited love poetry, make fun of him while bringing him food and create impromptu pillow fights while making him watch a movie he never wanted to.

He should order strawberry bread, carrot ice cream or something else weird and then grin at Akashi's groan of having to eat it. Instead he ordered plain bread and was watching whatever news channel the corner shop owner had on his TV while waiting for it.

He gave the bread to Akashi after they left the shop. He took Kuroko's hand instead. Blue eyes looked at him and then widened.

His co-workers always said Akashi looked dangerous when mad.

" _And now, don_ _'_ _t scare off -_ _"_

Shut up.

"I am hurting you."

Kuroko shook his head.

He tightened his hold.

"Then return back to how you used to be before."

"I would hurt Seijuro-kun, then."

He shook their hands.

"Is this better?"

"What would you suggest?"

Akashi gritted his teeth. He didn't know.

Except one thing.

This was unforgivable.

Hurting Kuroko was unforgivable.

Diminishing his smile, creating distance, making him avoid eye contact.

Unforgivable.

Even as a price to find his soulmate.

" _What do you hope?_ _"_ his soulmate scolded in his head, _"_ _We would all live together?_ _"_

" _You would have twenty years to be with Kuroko?_ _"_

" _Or,_ _"_ he whispered, _"_ _he would be your soulmate?_ _"_

Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Shut up.

"Seijuro-kun."

He opened his eyes, unaware he closed them.

Kuroko had an indulgent smile.

(The smile he had when Akashi monologued him about all types of inks and how to splatter them to create his sign.)

His heart twisted.

He refused to give up on this man.

"I am selfish and greedy."

Kuroko shook his head, "you are human."

He swallowed. "You?"

"I am also human."

He looked at their joined hands. Then into Kuroko's eyes.

"It is at most twenty years."

"Then I will cherish each moment."

He pulled Kuroko into his arms.

He never wanted to let him go.

How terrifying.

—

Kuroko mumbled. Akashi locked his phone and looked behind him.

"Did I wake you?" he whispered.

"No," he muttered as he moved towards Akashi and put his head on his shoulder.

Right on his soulmate sign.

"What were you doing?" His arm wrapped around Akashi's chest.

"Couldn't sleep. Was looking around."

"Social media?"

Akashi shifted. Kuroko pulled him and settled him deeper into his arms.

"Anything new?"

"No," he mumbled.

From 1 to 10, 1 caught with your hand in a cookie jar and 10 cheating on his boyfriend, what -

"Let's look at them together."

He stilled. Kuroko kissed his neck, his hair tickling.

"You don't have to hide anything. Let's look at them together."

He locked off his phone. It showed where he left on his notifications. He began to scroll down.

Was he real? What kind of soulmate would he has to rival Kuroko?

"This is boring."

Akashi chuckled. "They are meaningless after all."

Then froze. This one looked like a bird. A sparrow?

They were all supposed to be meaningless!

It couldn't be the one -

"Is this a sparrow tattoo? What kind of sign is that?"

Akashi released his breath and melted into Kuroko's embrace.

His heart was hammering.

"Since we are both awake, let's find something else to do."

He chose all notifications to move them to a folder.

Kuroko pushed him on his back. Then kissed him.

His whole body tingled.

Kuroko, who was all warm safety moments ago, was searing hotness now.

He glanced to his mobile as Kuroko's attention shifted to his neck.

A chill went down his back.

He marked all notifications as read.

All 1000+ of them.

Kuroko bit his neck. He gasped.

He threw the phone to the bedside table.

Those thousands out of millions were unfortunate.

It was the only thought he spared from them before Kuroko consumed them all.


	7. Alternate Universe

7 - Alternate Universe

Akashi glared at his mobile phone. That red bubble refused to disappear.

He chose all his notifications. Moved them to his unread folder called…unread notifications 7.

He groaned.

"I am buried under notifications."

"I thought you read them daily." Kuroko said from on the other side of the couch.

"I was busy these days," he muttered.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow but didn't push him further. He must be at an exciting point of his book.

Akashi thought one of these notifications could be his soulmate.

He shuddered.

He tossed his mobile to the coffee table. Then threw himself to Kuroko's lap.

"I am hungry," he whined.

Kuroko frowned. Akashi grinned.

"Then cook something."

"It is Tetsuya's turn for grocery shopping," he sang.

Kuroko's eyebrow ticked. He was still reading.

Akashi nuzzled Kuroko's stomach. His hand shot down to stop him - and play with his hair.

He touched Kuroko's nose, through the space between Kuroko and his book. Kuroko bit his finger and tugged his hair. Then pulled the book towards him.

He stretched and licked Kuroko's wrist. He wiped it on his hair.

Akashi reached and closed Kuroko's book. He had a finger at his current page.

"One minute," he murmured, eyes still on the book.

"Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight," Akashi started counting. Loud.

At twenty-nine, Kuroko closed his book and put it aside.

Then grinned.

Akashi's heart beat faster. Oh dear, what -

He howled a laugh when Kuroko pinched his sides. His arms jerked to protect his sides or deflect Kuroko's arms and in the end just left him open. His legs beat the couch's arm as he roared another laughter.

He threw himself off the couch.

As he panted on the floor and wiped his tears with shaking hands, Kuroko was giggling.

He was beautiful.

He was also sitting at the back of the couch, out of reach.

Akashi glanced at couch's legs. Could he shake -?

There was something right under the couch. A dark stain.

There were also marks on the carpet like the couch used to be further away.

He turned the other way. There were symmetrical marks of coffee table moving on the carpet.

He grinned.

"What is under the couch?" he sang.

"Monsters?"

"Tetsuya always makes me clean -"

"We take turns -"

"- because he doesn't know how to," he finished his song.

He smirked when Kuroko jumped off the couch's back, laid on the floor to look under it.

"What are you talking about?"

"Will Tetsuya cook if I show it?"

"No."

"I want tofu soup." Akashi stood up.

"It is your turn." Kuroko stood up.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we will see how Tetsuya moved the couch instead of cleaning his carpet." He pushed the couch.

There it was. Right under the couch. A dark red stain.

"Ta-daa!"

Kuroko was staring at the stain. His face was blank.

He bolted to the door. "Tofu, right? Anything else?"

The door closed before Akashi could answer.

Did Kuroko pale when he saw the stain?

He glared at it.

Then its colour registered.

—

"Was it blood?" he shrieked when the door opened. "When did you hurt yourself?"

Kuroko blinked.

"The stain. Dark red. Blood, right, it was blood!"

"It was cranberry ice cream."

Ok.

Huh?

His legs collapsed under him.

He took a shaky breath.

"Cranberry ice cream? Who eats cranberry ice cream?" he whined. "Why didn't you clean it?"

"I meant to forget that day."

He whimpered. What was Kuroko talking about?

Kuroko sat next to him. He was smiling.

Akashi relaxed.

Everything was all right if Kuroko was smiling.

"Let's imagine an alternate universe." He wrapped his arm around Akashi's waist. He leaned against Kuroko. "Before that dreaded parents meeting, my co-workers were talking about an ice cream. I have never tried it, I got curious."

"Cranberry ice cream," he grumbled.

Kuroko nodded.

"Was it good, at least?" Better be, after Akashi's near heart attack.

"Don't know," he said, as if it were a good thing.

His eyes were so bright.

"So, after the meeting, I went to the corner shop. They had it."

Of course.

"As the owner went to retrieve it, I watched his TV. It was evening news. There was a red haired man on a stage. He opened his arms and said:

Everything at your fingertips, with one touch. No. You might as well call this phone telepathic."

Akashi stopped breathing.

"What -?" he whispered.

His heart twisted. His vision blurred.

He shook Kuroko.

Explain.

Instead, Kuroko hugged him. He was trembling.

(Or was it Akashi?)

"I went home, planning to watch my favourite TV show while eating my ice cream. In my first spoon, my eyes caught on my wrist. My sign has stabilised."

He kissed Akashi's head. He was dizzy.

"The spoon fell. I threw the ice cream away. Went to bed, vowing to forget that day. In the morning, I moved the couch over the stain, not wishing to see it, let alone spend time to clean it."

He turned Akashi's face towards him. His eyes were wet. His smile gorgeous.

"Would you like this to be reality?"

"More than anything else," he choked.

—

"My legs are numb," he murmured. Then sniffed.

"Mine too," Kuroko said. His voice was wet.

They didn't move.

Akashi's stomach grumbled.

"I bought tofu."

He nodded to Kuroko's shoulder.

His soulmate's shoulder.

He giggled.

Kuroko tightened his hug.

He wanted to ask why they didn't feel anything when they met - except to lose track of time and chat for hours. Or why nothing happened when they saw each others' signs. Except -

Akashi smiled.

\- solve for x.

His favourite interpretation.

"What will happen now?" he murmured.

"You are going to cook."

"I meant to us, silly."

"Nothing."

He looked at Kuroko's eyes. They shone with the same knowledge.

They had already found each other.

Then, Kuroko's eyes gleamed.

Akashi tensed.

"I bought cranberry ice cream to celebrate," he smiled and reached for the shopping bag forgotten on the floor.

Akashi groaned.

"And this," he put a brown block to his hand. It read -

"Chocolate tofu?" Akashi roared. "I refuse to taste this -" he sprinted after Kuroko, who was running to the kitchen.

Laughing all the way.

The End

Author's Note: This marks the end of AkaKuro Week 2016 for me.

Thank you! Thank you for all the readers. Thank you for all who liked, reblogged, left kudos, commented, favourited, bookmarked, reviewed, subscribed and put on alerts list this story.

Thank you, again, for bearing with my rushed and unbetaed writing. For ignoring my spelling mistakes (that I always notice a day late) and possible plot holes (that I can never convince myself are not there).

I hope this chapter answered all your questions. And gave you a satisfactory ending. This story was a different take on soulmate AU's and I hope you liked this point of view.

Hope to see you and hear from you again on a different story.

Take care until then.

Galliechan


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